


Lean on Me

by ButterflyGhost



Category: due South
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Italian Food, M/M, Musical, tag_2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-23
Updated: 2013-04-23
Packaged: 2017-12-09 06:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/771355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterflyGhost/pseuds/ButterflyGhost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fraser and the two Rays eat ziti in Ma's living room, and sing badly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lean on Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [happy29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy29/gifts).



> The game of tag continues - my prompt was 'Lean on Me.'
> 
> WARNING
> 
> for spoiler of Bookman Four.

Ma let them eat dinner in the living room – which was practically unheard of, but meant that the family could have their regular loud screaming match of a Vecchio meal, while Ray ate quietly with Benny and, for the first time, Kowalski.

 

“So,” Ray said, looking at Benny’s boyfriend, uncomfortably. “I guess you heard I’m a psycho.”

 

“You seem okay to me,” Kowalski said, between mouthfuls of ziti. “I mean, when you think of it you didn’t crack up that bad.”

 

“Excuse me?” Ray’s voice went sarcastic, and he felt his blood pressure creep up a notch. 

 

“Well you were gone a year, being that Langoustini creep, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, you musta been worried sick about your family. I mean, I miss ’em when I’m up in Canada, and I only known ’em a couple of years. You’ve gotta miss ’em more.”

 

“Oh.” Ray hadn’t thought of it like that.

 

“Remember you told me?” Kowalski waved his fork to underline his point. “‘Undercover’s lonely.’ Well, I know what that’s like. You get worried sick about all the bad things that could happen to ’em when you’re gone, and you ain’t there to protect ’em. So, me? I been there. It’s fucking awful… Hey, Ben, I’ll swear if I want to.”

 

Ray tried not to chuckle, and Kowalski was continuing. “Then, there’s you, you get back from the worst undercover gig ever, and the feebies suck big balls –”

 

“Ray!” Benny sounded scandalised, and Kowalski pretended to glare at him.

 

“So Vecchio gets back, and the FBI are their usual professional selves.” He poked his tongue out. “Is that better, mother hen?”

 

“Much better,” Benny said, primly, even though he was doing that thing where he laughed behind his eyes.

 

Kowalski grinned and shovelled more ziti in his face. “God,” he said, turning back to Ray. “Your Ma can cook. Sorry, what was I saying – oh yeah. You got back, and when it was safe, it all got to you. I mean, if you’d cracked up in Vegas, you’d a been dead and doneski.”

 

Ray looked at Kowalski, with respect. The guy had the table manners of a pig, and hair like an electrocuted hedgehog, but he knew more about what was going on in Ray’s head than any damn psychiatrist he’d ever met.

 

“I suppose you have a point,” he said, slowly.

 

“Yeah,” Kowalski continued. “And you thought some terrible thing had happened to Frannie, and you hadn’t been able to save her. I mean, I don’t got a sister, unless you let me adopt yours. But that would be the worst thing, I think, if something happened to your kid sister.”

 

“Yeah,” Ray muttered, looking at his food. He wasn’t going to tell Kowalski, but he’d spent his whole damn life scared that something bad was going to happen to Frannie. First Pa, beating on her, then Frank Zuko putting it around the neighbourhood that his baby sister was trash (because Frannie _wouldn’t_ go out with him – sick bastard) and every guy she ever met after that thinking she was a tramp. Her husband whaling on her within weeks of the ‘marriage,’ and how the gossips rolled their eyes and blamed her, a year later, when she filed for divorce. _‘I’ll help you press charges,’_ Ray had told her. _‘Leave it,’_ she’d snapped, and hid behind dark glasses. _‘I’ve been humiliated enough as it is.’_

 

Nowadays, Frannie would be strong enough to press charges. Nowadays, she’d never have married the fucker in the first place.

 

“Ray,” Benny’s voice cut in on his thoughts. “If you keep staring at your food, Diefenbaker is going to think you’ve finished, and clean your plate.”

 

“Sorry, yeah. I gotta eat.” Ray’s appetite was a fragile thing at the moment, and he’d filled up on Ma’s pastries, but he knew he had to gain weight. And besides, Ma had gone for the most comforting meal she knew. He took a couple of bites, then paused. Sighed. “Listen,” he said, “Kowalski. I still feel like a dick for the things I said about you, and I probably always will feel like a dick about it. But, you know. Thanks. You looked after my family for me when I was undercover. And when I was… you know.” He blushed. “Away with the fairies.  You didn’t have to do that.”

 

“Well,” Kowalski scratched the back of his neck and looked uncomfortable. “They’re not my family, but I do care about them.”

 

“Hey, Stanley.” Kowalski looked at him, obviously trying to repress his irritation. _Still on best behaviour for the crazy guy._ Ray grinned. “Sorry. Ray. Jeez, don’t get used to that, I’m not saying it every time. But, Ray? Thanks for looking after them. And thanks for looking after Benny. Okay?”

 

“Okay.” The guy was grinning, and Ray could see what Benny saw in him. He had a cheeky monkey vibe going – seemed kinda innocent when he wasn’t trying to be macho.

 

“And, just so you know,” Ray said, “they _are_ your family. You’re kinda like my brother-in-law.” Benny and Kowalski beamed at each other, then at Ray, then blushed. Ray shook his head. _Hopeless saps, all three of us._ “Come on, it’s not rocket science, guys. Even baby Vito knows you’re his nunc-nunc.”

 

“Jeez,” Kowalski looked stricken. “Yeah, I heard about that – it musta really sucked.”

 

“Hey, I wasn’t trying to get a dig in. I meant it. So, he forgot who I was for a while, now he’s got two Uncle Rays. There’s the good looking one, then there’s you.”

 

Kowalski rolled his eyes and took a swig of milk. “Shit, I got hiccups.”

 

“That’s what you get for talking with your mouth full, you uncouth bastard.”

 

“Ray!” Benny spluttered. _You’re gonna have to get used to it,_ Ray thought, and smirked. _Like one heart-to-heart is gonna stop us guys arguing…_

 

“S’okay, Fraser,” Kowalski said through his hiccups, and smiled. “Just as well Ma ain’t here, she’d be thumping me on the back about now.”

_He’s talking about my Ma,_ Ray thought, with a slight pang. _He calls his own mother ‘Mum.’_

 

He paused, took a deep breath, Well, he’d told Kowalski he was family, and now wasn’t the time to be picky about who Ma decided to mother. It had been a whole year before she’d stopped trying to get Benny to call her Ma. Ray remembered the day Benny explained to her, politely, why he couldn’t. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I don’t mean to offend you, but I only had one mother, and I didn’t have her long.”

 

Kowalski had stopped hiccupping, and started talking again, this time not shoving food into his mouth. “Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is – Ben and me, we mightn’t know everything you been through, but – you know. You need someone. We’re here.”

 

Ray scratched his face, and didn’t know what to say – then Kowalski spoiled the moment by singing off key. “’Lean on me, when you’re not strong – you got somebody to leeeeean on.’”

 

“Ray,” Ben interjected, “those aren’t the actual lyrics.”

 

“That ain’t the actual tune,” Ray protested. Kowalski grinned ferally, and  carried on butchering the song.

 

“Stanley, if you don’t stop singing I’ll…”

 

“You’ll what?”

 

Ray flicked ziti at his new brother. “Stanley!”

 

“Style pig.”

 

Fraser sighed, and started singing. The proper lyrics, and in tune. Obviously.

 

By the time Ma poked her head round the door to see what was going on, they were all singing.

 

“You boys doing okay?”

 

“Fine, Ma.” Ray realised to his surprise that he had finished his ziti. “We’re fine.”

 

 

 

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoTGyWT0Cg>

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a little bit of a spoiler for Bookman Four. But guys, you knew there had to be a happy ending???
> 
> I love the idea of the Rays being friends, and there's not enough of Ma's cooking in the world. Plus... Bill Withers. Come on, the prompt was begging for it!
> 
> So... tag! Who's it? The next prompt is also musical in nature:
> 
> "You gotta serve somebody." (I admit it, I'm listening to Bob Dylan.)


End file.
